PRECIOUS THINGS
by deetatarant
Summary: Ianto recieves four gifts from his team mates.


**PRECIOUS THINGS**

**A Grief Observed**

**Owen.**

Ianto slumped down on the floor in the mortuary and leaned against the draws, his knees drawn up to his chest. It had been another long painfully stressful day of hiding behind his unreadable face and polite offerings of coffee to the gang that was Torchwood, a small collection of dysfunctional people who were out to save the world from the big bad aliens.

Lisa.

A single word and a constant thought. Ianto's only thought. The overwhelming pain of her loss was beginning to drown him. Every nerve in his thin body protested when ever he moved. He thought he would gag each time he opened his mouth to speak and could feel his throat constrict through the very act of breathing. Ianto had never known emptiness like it. He wondered why he was even alive at all, because if this was going to be the rest of his life then it didn't bare thinking about.

Alone.

Tired.

Hopeless.

He couldn't even find the strength to be angry anymore. He had simply lost the will to function and he thought that by sitting here close to Lisa he could just slide away into the blackness of his grief and maybe even not wake up again. He leaned his head back against the cold metal and closed his eyes.

It took him a moment to realise that there was another presence in the cold room. Ianto opened his eyes expecting to see Jack standing over him, but it was Owen. The last person Ianto expected to see. The scrawny Londoner sat down a short distance away, crossing his legs and meeting Ianto with a concerned look.

"This isn't going to help."

Ianto said nothing, gave nothing, his unreadable mask back in place the minute he had noticed that some one was there. Owen looked as if he was anticipating this so he carried on.

"When Katie died, I lost the plot. I was so angry. She had an alien in her brain that killed her. I thought she had dementia at first, my friends operated to save her and they all died too. Torchwood cleaned it up. That's how I came to be here in the end. I know how much this is hurting you and I do understand. I still don't like you or what you did, but I do understand if that's any help. Here."

Owen proffered a slim paper backed book and placed it by Ianto's feet when the young man didn't take it.

"Read it. It helped me come to terms. I'm not saying it'll help you, but you don't know until you try." Owen got to his feet and brushed off his jeans.

"You need to say good bye to her today otherwise you will spend the rest of your life in this place. You're too young for that Ianto." He walked away.

Ianto reached out his hand and picked up the book. "A Grief Observed" by C. S. Lewis. He opened it and began to read. It wasn't long before the tears that he had been holding back for weeks began to roll down his pale cheeks.

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**Paper Rose.**

**Tosh**

Tosh cautiously made her way to the coffee machine. As usual at this early hour Ianto was there, preparing their first brews of the day, something that was always welcomed by the whole team. No one made it quite like Ianto. She smiled and cleared her throat to get his attention and as he looked up she noticed a little spark of happiness in his lovely blue eyes. Tosh was taken aback as she had never seen that look on him before.

"Everything alright Tosh?"

Tosh could feel herself blushing. Ianto was such a pretty thing when he smiled. She held out a box to him. It was made of cardboard and decorated with painted flowers, the lid held in place by a deep red silk ribbon.

"I wanted to thank you. You were so kind to me after the whole Mary thing and well….I hope you like it."

Hesitantly Ianto took it. It felt very light in his grasp. "Tosh you shouldn't have. I don't expect you to."

"I know you don't. But we all expect far too much of you." She brushed a brief kiss to his cheek and quickly turned and left.

Feeling slightly puzzled and all fuzzy inside Ianto gently tugged the ribbon away and removed the lid. He gasped as he carefully lifted a paper rose from the tissue inside. He marvelled at it, an origami rose of deepest red with a dark green stem, leaves and thorns. It was beautiful. He studied it mesmerised. Jack came in for his coffee and halted in the doorway and watched in silence, as Ianto was completely absorbed with looking at the rose. Eventually Jack spoke, making Ianto start.

"Wow, that's amazing."

Ianto carefully replaced it in the box. "Tosh gave it to me." He put the lid on and tied the ribbon back in its place. "I've never been given anything like that before."

"You deserved it. You have been very understanding and compassionate toward her."

Ianto unconsciously held the box to his chest and Jack took great pleasure in the smile on the young man's face. It was good to see him healing at last.

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**Lasagne**

**Gwen**

"Rhys, I know I am a real pain, but can you cook an extra large lasagne tonight? I want to take some back to work for Ianto, he's not really doing so well at the moment and you're the best Italian chef a girl could hope for!" Gwen gave him her big puppy eyes and gapped toothed smile that always melted his heart into mushiness. How could he refuse a look like that? Even if it was for one of her Torchwood blokes!

Later that evening Gwen rolled into the HUB and sure enough Ianto was still there working at Tosh's terminal long after the Japanese girl had gone home. Gwen heaved in a sigh and bounded over to him with a plate balanced in one hand and a Starbuck's coffee in the other.

"I brought you dinner, proper dinner that was made in our kitchen by my lovely Rhys because I bet you haven't bothered to eat yet have you?"

Ianto glanced up as Gwen plonked herself in her chair and put the items in front of him. He hadn't noticed being hungry.

"Its almost mid night Ianto!"

"Is it really?"

A lovely smell rose up from the plate covered in foil and Ianto carefully lifted the edge of the foil up.

"Smells fantastic. Gwen you must thank Rhys for me. This is very kind of you." He was definitely hungry now.

Gwen leaned over the desk. "You don't have to be here 24/7 Ianto. If Jack's coming back, he'll let himself in if no one's here."

"That may well be, but we've never left the Hub unmanned. I don't mind staying Gwen. All I've got at home is an empty flat, I'd rather be here."

Gwen pouted. "I know, but at least try to look after yourself. I'm going home. You eat that and go to bed."

"I will and thank you."

"You're welcome."

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**The Best Dressed Valentine In Wales**

**Jack.**

Ianto was just brushing his teeth when the front door bell rang. He wandered down the hall to answer it wondering who an Earth would want him at 5:30 in the morning? A quick peek through the spy hole told him that no one was there but he unlocked and opened the door anyway to a dark and chilly February morning. There was a large white box on the step with a label embossed elegantly across the front.

"Ronaldo's Tailors, Knightsbridge"

Taped underneath this logo was an envelope the word Ianto scribed in Jack Harkness' messy and instantly recognisable script. Ianto bent down and lifted the box, which was large and quite heavy he took it inside closing his front door with his foot.

Feeling a slight tingle of excitement and more than a little apprehension he placed the box on his bed and detached the envelope, pulling out the letter from inside.

_Happy Valentine's Day._

Ianto could feel himself blush.

_Ok you know I'm not one for romantic gestures, but I have ruined so many of your suits, well Torchwood has to take some of the blame. I had such fun with you and the tape measure the other week I figured I should thank you for your willingness to indulge my more unusual requests._

_Before you were born your father had an apprentice called Ronaldo. I know how much you miss your Father and what he means to you so I tracked down Ronaldo and he made this for you. Ideally it would have been made by your Dad, but I hope this will do in his stead._

_I've never thanked you for holding on after Lisa. I know how hard it was for you and I also knew it was something you had to figure out for yourself. I never thanked you for keeping your faith in me after I ran out on you all and I never thanked you for all the times you have taken away my pain and fear. Your love has been undemanding and constant and I do not deserve it. I will try to do better. You mean everything to me and I wish with all my heart that we could have eternity together._

_Anyway you'll be the best-dressed Valentine in Wales today, though I think you are everyday._

_Love As ever_

_Jack._

Ianto stared at the letter then read it again twice over as tears rolled over his face. He couldn't decide how he was feeling right at that moment, a confused mixture of joy, sadness and excitement. With shaking hands he lifted the lid from the box and pulled away the white tissue paper. He ran his fingertips over the deep charcoal fabric, soft wool and silk from Italy. He'd learnt his fabrics from his Tad and this _was_ the best.

Ianto Jones stepped in through the roller doors of the Hub feeling like the best loved Valentine in Wales.

**AN: What happens to the suit is told in my short story 'Three Bullets.'**

**Thanks for reading.**


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